The Broken Time-Turner
by Lost Daughter of Gallifrey
Summary: It was only meant to be a joke. One last hurrah before I left Hogwarts forever. It wasn't supposed to work and yet here I am standing in this strange little land known as Camelot with five other people I barely know. Will we ever see home again?
1. Chapter 1

Perhaps I should begin my tale with some introductions. My name is Eponine Kateri Cressida. Strange name, I know. My parents, despite being pure-bloods, are fascinated by muggles. My first name comes from the tragic French tale of Les Miserables. My middle name comes from a Native American woman who had some historical importance. My last name, well, my last name has been passed down since the beginning of my family line, obviously.

Then there is Johnathon Devon Kim. He's this British-Korean ninja person. Actually I hardly know the guy, we've only met like three times. He's dating my friend Elizabeth so I guess I sort of know him considering Elizabeth never shuts up about him. A few kids in my house call him Mr. Sweet yet Savage, whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. Elizabeth calls him by his Korean name, Chanyeol. I just refer to him as Johnny boy or sometimes just John.

Daisy Amelia Finnigan is another person I kind of know, I dated her brother Braden in our fifth year. Apparently she knows just about everthing which is very useful. She's not the complaining type which is also very nice. I've played in quidditch matches against her as from what I can tell she's a pretty good athlete.

Alice Cole Brewton and I are from the same house, Hufflepuff. We've spoken on several occasions but she's a bit of a perfectionist and I'm anything but a perfectionist. We haven't necessarily fought but are personalities clash just enough to cause an exchange of several passive-aggressive remarks. I invited her along on the time-turner adventure just to irritate her and it would seem I've done my job.

Johnny J Jackson or as I call him, TJ, is the one person I know best of all. He's a mere one year behind me in age, from the same house, and is one the quidditch team with me. Some times I wonder if we aren't secretly twins or something, after all we're practically the same person. He shares in my adventurous, and quite reckless, spirit and was more than happy to try my time-turner experiment.

I know Acacia Clara Boyce least of all, in fact, not at all. I kind of pulled her into this last minute.

Now I bet you're wondering how six different people, most of whom had never met before, landed themselves in a time before Hogwarts together?

It began when I acquired the Time-Turner. I'd been summoned to Filch's office after I'd committed some minor infraction, sneaking around the tunnels of Hogwarts. Filch's devil cat had discover some student committing some greater crime than I causing Filch to leave his office and giving me a chance to look around. I was hoping to find some treasure like Marauder's Map instead I found a time-turner. At first I was amazed, after all there weren't supposed to be any time-turners left. Then I noticed the tiny hair-line fracture. It had to be broken, of course it was broken.

I pocketed it despite this knowledge if only to keep as a souvenir. It was my seventh year and I was a mere three weeks away from leaving Hogwarts behind forever. A time-turner as a reminder of my childhood home felt almost poetic.

Several hours later while practicing quidditch, for once in the whole history of Hogwarts Hufflepuff actually had a shot at the cup, I showed the time-turner to TJ.

"How did you come by a time-turner?", TJ asked upon seeing it, "I thought they were all destroyed."

I turned the object reveling the fracture, "It's broken, see?"

"What are you going to do with it then?"

I shrugged, "I dunno, keep it?"

He laughed, "Maybe you should turn it all the way back and visit the dinosaurs."

"Do you want to?" I asked, "Turn it all the way back I mean. Just for kicks."

"Alright sure, go for it." He said

"No, no, not now." I said waving my hand in the air as if I was waving away the idea, "It has to be dramatic. Tonight when the clock strikes midnight."

TJ scoffed, "Midnight's past curfew."

I rolled my eyes, "Fine is seven o'clock good or is that to late for wittle Johnny Jackson?"

"Isn't there going to be that ball thing going on for the upcoming graduation?"

"Excellent! We'll be all dressed up for the occasion! I'll see you at seven."

And so I had acquired the first member of my team.


	2. Chapter 2

I trudged into the common room and plopped down on a couch across no other than Alice Cole Brewerton. Alice wasn't a bad person but she lacked one quality I required in all my friends, spontaneity. She liked things to be perfect, I'd rather live in a world where nothing went according to plan.

"Afternoon Al", I greeted sarcasm slipping into my tone. Our rivalry was legendary in the Hufflepuff house. It started in my second year, Alice's first, when I slipped a nosebleed nougat into all the first year's food. I earned myself detention for months and a reputation as trouble.

Glanced at me and nodded her acknowledgement. Her annoying friend Greer Mounsey glared at me, "Why don't you just crawl back into the hellhole you came from."

Alice sighed, "She's just baiting you. Ignore her."

"Baiting you?" I gasped dramatically, "Why I only said hello. It was green mouse over here who threw the insult." I smiled inwardly. I could do with some not-so-friendly banter, regular banter was just so boring.

"Its Greer you incompetent buffoon." Greer sneered ignoring the advice of her friend.

I laughed, "Look at you, using big fancy words because you think I can't understand them. Well you can piss off you floundering lout."

"If you two don't mind I'd like to write my potions essay in peace." Alice interrupted.

"Actually I have proposition for you. How would you like to see a real time-turner?" I asked.

Greer sniffed, "Everyone knows that there are no time-turners left and besides who would trust you to change a light bulb much less operate a time-turner."

I rolled my eyes,"You're not invited, Alice is. What do you say? Tonight at seven?"

Alice seemed to consider what I was saying, "A real time-turner?" I nodded. "Alright fine, I'll come but if this turns out to be one of your practical jokes..."

"You have permission to slap me" I promised. And so my little team of two became three. I left a mildly interested Alice and seething Greer behind in the common room and wandered up to my dorm. Awaiting me was Elizabeth eager to tell the latest development in her relationship with my soon-to-be-but-not-quite-yet team member.


	3. Chapter 3

I managed to survive several antagonizing hours, or at least it felt like hours, of 'girl talk'. Elizabeth had gone to the bathroom when I made my escape. It's strange, thinking back on it now, that was the last real conversation the two of us had.

I found myself wandering about the halls. Others were buzzing about preparing for tonight. It was already five so I figured if I made a quick run down to the kitchen I'd have enough time to get back and get ready. I was making my way up the stairs with an armful of food for Elizabeth and I when a bundle of flaming red hair and gray knit sweater crashed into me. I went flying barely managing to save all the food.

"Sorry!", an Irish accent said. It was no other than Daisy Amelia Finnigan.

"No worries", I answered getting to my feet, "Nothing of any importance was damaged." I reassured referring to the bundle of snacks I was carrying.

Daisy laughed bending down to pick up the time-turner that had slipped out of my pocket during the fall. Shock showed across her face, "Is this a..."

"Time-Turner", I nodded.

"Does it work?"

I shrugged, "Dunno. A couple Hufflepuffs and I are going to test it out tonight, Want to come along? You'll be the first Gryffindor."

"Sure I'll come", She agreed, "Are you forming a team or something?"

"That wasn't my original plan but it would seem I do have a team", I answered pocketing the time-turner, "We're meeting up tonight at seven just look for TJ or Alice."

With a nod and a smile she took off. I returned to Elizabeth and together we got ready for the ball. We hardly spoke, we didn't really need to. It was already understood that It was my job to help her get her mascara just right and she was to help me pull my long dark hair into an elegant twist. Elizabeth left to find her boyfriend and I went to go find TJ.

TJ and I had agreed to go as friends. I know what you're thinking and I'll take the time right now to squash your forming opinions. TJ is like my brother and he knows it. Would you be romantically interested in your sibling? I thought so.

Anyways, I found TJ in the common room talking to several other boys. A few of the wolf whistled when I came down and I flipped them off. Tj was wearing usual black dress robes.

"You clean up pretty nice Cressida", TJ joked, "Who'd of guessed?"

"Shut up" I laughed following him out of the common room, "By the way, I may have invited a few more people to the time-turner thing."

TJ rolled his eyes, "Naturally."


	4. Chapter 4

"What about him?" TJ asked pointing at a guy off in the corner.

I smirked, "You're never going to guess. It's nearly 7 anyways." TJ had been trying to guess who I had invited along on our little adventure. He has managed to guess exactly zero.

TJ huffed and disappeared back into the ,

Several minutes later the clock struck seven. I wandered out of the main hall to find TJ with no other than Mr. Sweet yet Savage. John looked impatient and just a little uncomfortable while TJ only looked pleased with himself.

"I invited someone else along too." He declared sounding smug.

John shifted awkwardly, "What is it we're doing exactly?", he asked, "And can we hurry this along I promised Elizabeth I'd dance with her."

"Don't you worry my friend. You won't regret this." TJ said putting a hand on his shoulder,"Show him."

I pulled the time-turner out of my pocket. John's eyes widened,

"How in the bloody hell did you get one of those?!" He looked at me accusingly,"Did you steal it?"

"No", I scoffed, "The politically correct term is borrowed indefinitely."

"Please", Said a voice behind me, "Once a delinquent always a delinquent." Alice appeared out of the shadows with out green mouse, thank God.

I rolled my eyes, "Has anyone seen Daisy Finnigan? I invited her along too."

"I'm here!", Daisy shouted running to join our group.

"Is that everyone?" TJ asked excited.

"Lets do a head count. You, Alice, Daisy, Johnny boy..." I trailed off noticing a girl standing alone outside the Great Hall.

"Hey" I shouted to her. She turned and looked at me questioningly, "Yeah you! Do you want to come on an adventure?"

"Umm okay." She said quietly biting her lip.

"What's your name?" I asked unraveling the long sliver chain attached to the time-turner.

"Acacia Boyce."

"I'm Eponine, welcome aboard." I said handing each person a bit of the chain while they made their introductions.

"Time to see if this works." I declared giving the time-turner a twist. I have no idea how many times I twisted the thing but it couldn't have been very many. A stopped when the world around me began to blur. Suddenly the walls of Hogwarts melted away and the six of us were left standing in a big empty field.

"Well this was unexpected." TJ deadpanned.


	5. Chapter 5

"What the bloody hell have you done?!" Alice shouted, "Honestly Cressida can you do anything right?"

I knew I screwed up big time and I should probably have apologized to them. Instead I glared at Brewerton, "I used a bloody time-turner! What did you think was going to happen? Unicorns would start doing a tap dance for you?"

Suddenly Daisy spoke up, "Has anyone noticed where we're standing?"

"In a field?" I responded rather rudely.

Daisy nodded, "In a big, empty, field."

"So?" John asked.

Acacia twisted the ring on her finger,"When a person uses a time-turner they're transported back in time", She started shyly,"But they're position never changes. So we're still standing in the exact same spot we were when Eponine used the time-turner."

A sense of horrific realization swept over us. "If this is the same spot...where's Hogwarts?" Daisy said making her point.

TJ laughed nervously, "When I said 'let's go see the dinosaurs' I was only joking."

I nodded distracted not quite hearing what he had said. "Alright then. We're in a land without Hogwarts. What's our first move?"

"We need to get to civilization." Alice declared temporarily letting go of her anger at me.

"Okay." I agreed, "Any ideas on which way that would be?"

I noticed Acacia muttering to herself. It was difficult to hear what she was saying. I managed to catch the phrases, "East" and "down the stair and to the left." Suddenly she looked up at me, "There should be a path that way!" she informed us pointing off into the distance.

"How can you be sure?" Daisy asked clearly curious.

Acacia looked at the ground and bit her lip, "Well I remember the way to the entrance of Hogwarts, where we come when we're in the horseless carriages. Anyways I figured that the founders would have built the entrance facing a path that was already there."

"That's brilliant." Daisy told her. Acacia blushed.

I grinned,"Everything's coming together!"

Alice rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't go that far, Cressida. We're still stuck here."

"Why don't we just spin the time-turner forward?" John asked, "Shouldn't that move time forward?"

"We can try, but I don't think that's how time-turners work." I said,"Most people just wait out however much time they've turned back."

"Still", John insisted, "It's worth a try."

Once again each of us took a part of the chain and placed it around our necks. I turned the hourglass forward. I'll be honest, I half expected John's idea to work. It made perfect sense, but alas, magic never makes sense. I estimated how many times I had turned the thing and tried to replicate the number. I closed my eyes and prayed to whatever God was watching. When I opened them again I was disappointed to find myself still standing in the same field.

"I suppose that settles it then." Alice said, "Acacia lead the way."


End file.
